Mumbai in $660s-$790s RT

To address the elephant in the room: there are no actual pachyderms in the Elephanta Caves.

But they do have some pretty sweet 1500-year-old carvings, making them a perfect example of the kind of history you'll find around every corner of Mumbai (or on an island just off the coast, in this case). The island features seven main cave temples, arranged in a mandala pattern, each with carved reliefs of famous Hindu legends. Our personal favorite might be the huge 23-foot statue of Shiva, but it's hard to pick just one.

If you prefer your temples a little more contemporary, the Shree Siddhivinayak Mandir is only about 200 years old. But that gorgeous pink granite doesn't look a day over 150! And staying trim is a real accomplishment when you're surrounded by food this good... :-)